Self-feeder for threshing-machines.



No. 785,496. PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

J. JIRSA. Y SELF FEEDER FOR THRESHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.24,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: w .INVENTOH A 770/?NE rs No. 785,496. 'P'ATENTED MAR. 21

- J. JIRSA.

.SELF FEEDER FOR THRESHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION IILEDMAR.24,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET}.

WI TNESSES:

A TTORNE YS Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES JIRSA, OF DORCHESTER, NEBRASKA.

SELF-FEEDER FOR THRESHING-IVIACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,496, dated March21, 1905.

Application filed March 24, 1904. Serial No. 199,684.

To ail whont it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES J IRsA, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Dorchester, in the county of Saline and State of Nebraska,have invented a new and Improved Self-Feeder for Threshing-lVIachines,of which the following'is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, andeconomic self-feeder for threshing-machines so constructed that when asurplus of straw is fed to the bandcutters by the bundle-carrier theband-cutters will continue to act upon the bundles, but the motion ofthe bundle-carriers will be automatically stopped until the normalamount of straw is at the entrance to the machine and in position to bedelivered to the concave and cylinder, at which time the drivingmechanism for the bundle-carrier will again and automatically act to setthe bundle-carrier in motion, and so prevent clogging and inefiectivework where the bundle-carrier connects with the body of thethreshing-machine.

Another purpose of the invention is to so construct the controllingmechanism that it can be operated by hand and, furthermore, to soconstruct the entire feeding attachment that there will be practicallyno unnecessary expenditure of power and, further, in fact, to provide anautomatically-operating governor for the feed mechanism which will notfail to act.

Another purpose of the invention is to so construct the attachment thatit will comprise comparatively few parts, all of which are of greatstrength and when grouped for operation require little attention.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth,and pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the receiving end of a threshing-machineand a side elevation of the self-feeding attachment; Fig. 2 is averticalcentral longitudinal section through the interior of the main partsshown in Fig. 1, the section being taken substantially on the line 2 2of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken practically on the line3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the parts shown in the otherviews. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the driving-pulley for theband-cutting device and the clutch for the same, the drivingshaft beingin section, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a section takenpractically on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a perspective Viewof the band-brake for the clutch mechanism.

A represents the receiving end of the threshing-machine, or that end inwhich the concave and cylinder are located and where the conveyer B ofthe bundle-carrier B connects with the interior of thethreshing-machine. The body or frame A of the threshing-machine at itsreceiving end is provided with a horizontal top section 10*, whichextends over the delivery end of the conveyer of the bundle-carrier, andto the ends of this top section 10 the usual side sections 10 aresecured.

The delivery end of the conveyer B of the bundle-carrier is mounted toturn, as usual, with a drum 12, mounted on a shaft 11, jour: naled inthe sides of the bundle-carrier, and, as shown in Fig. 1, at one end ofthe shaft 11 a wheel 13 is secured, which wheel is a friction-wheel, andtherefore is not provided with peripheral teeth.

At the upper portion of the body A of the threshing-machine a series ofshields 14 are arranged, the shields being at desired distancesapart,'and the said shields are curved downwardly and in direction ofthe interior of the threshing-machine, as is best shown in Fig. 2.

Band-cutters C operate with a rotary reciprocating movement in thespaces between the shields 14, and in their downward action the saidband-cutters extend out beyond the said shields, as is also illustratedin Fig. 2. The body portions of these band-cutters may be of anysuitable or approved formation. As shown, they consist of body-bars 15,having sickle-teeth 16 attached between their ends, and the teeth 16extend downward or are vertically located with respect to the saidbody-bars, and the said sickle-teeth are of and inward throw, as isindicated in Fig. 2.

Side strips 15 are attached to the body-bars 15 of the band-cuttingdevices, and downwardly and forwardly hooked extensions 16 are locatedat the forward ends of the said strips. These hooked extensions will notallow the bundles to crawl forward should they pile up when presented tothe band-cutters. Teeth 16 are located at each side of each bodybar 15at its forward end, extending downwardly therefrom, and these teeth 16have straight forward edges and inclined rear edges, as is shown in Fig.2. The teeth 16 prevent the grain from being drawn inward when thecarrier is stopped by the action of the governing-forks 30, to behereinafter described. The intermediate or sickle teeth 16 are thoseteeth which act upon the bands of the bundles to sever the same, andpreferably three inner teeth 16 extend down from the straps 15 of eachbodysection of the band-cutting device, and the inner or rear edges ofthese teeth 16 are straight, and their forward edges are upwardlyinclined. These teeth 16 l denominate kickers, as they serve to forcethereleased grain into the machine, forcing the said grain to the concaveand cylinder of the machine. These kickers 16 will cause the top of thegrain to pass to the cylinder much faster than the feed of thehopper-bottom 50, to be hereinafter described, asthe latter works with ashort stroke, and this hopper-bottom is provided with fish-back teeth,as will also be hereinafter particularly set forth.

A power-pulley 19 is located at one end of the band-cutter shaft 18, asis shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and at the opposite end of the saidband-cutter shaft a driven cone-pulley 20 is attached. The inner ends ofthe band-cutters C are supported by hangers 21 of any suitable orapproved construction, metal or wood, pivoted to the band-cutters andmounted to turn on a fixed shaft 22, suitably located in the upperportion of the body A of the threshingmachine. The power or drivingpulley 19 is provided with a clutch mechanism, which is shown in Figs.5, 6, and 7, and this clutch mechanism is provided in order that-whenthe machine is started the band-cutting mechanism will not be set inmotion until the driving mechanism has attained its full speed. Thisclutch mechanism is further provided so that when the power is turnedoff the band-cutting shaft will almost immediately stop its motion.

The pulley 19 is loosely mounted on the bandcutter shaft 18, being heldfrom slipping therefrom by a suitable collar 54. A disk 55 is locatedwithin the said pulley 19 adjacent to the web thereof, and this disk isprovided with a hub 56, secured to the band-cutting shaft 18 by means ofa set-screw 57. Opposing brake-levers 58 and 59, provided near theircentral portions with collars 60, are pivoted to the web of thedriving-pulley 19 by means of suitable bolts 61 or their equivalents,and opposite end portions of the said levers 58 and 59 are concentricwith the disk 55. At these ends of the said levers weights 62 areadjustably secured. The opposite ends of the levers 58 and 59 areoutwardly curved in opposite directions, and these outwardlycurvedendsare provided with teeth 63, and at any one tooth 63 a spring 64 issecured to the levers 58 and 59, the said springs being attached to themarginal portionof the web of the pulley 19, as is best shown in Fig. 5.In connection with the disk 55 a strap-brake 65 is employed. Thisstrap-brake is adapted to encircle the marginal portion of the disk 55and to engage with the said marginal portion, and the body portion ofthe strapbrake 65 is provided with a recess 66, so that the terminals 67of the said strap-brake may pass one in front of the other indiametrically opposite directions, having at their point of crossing acontact no wider than the width of the body portion of the strap-brake.The ends of the terminals of the strap-brake 65 are threaded to receivenuts 68, and the threaded end of one terminal 67 is passed through ahook attachment 69, secured to the brake-lever 58 at a point between itsweighted end and its fulcrum adjacent to the latter, as is shown in Fig.5, while the opposite terminal 67 of the said strap-brake is attached toan angular extension 7 O, which is secured to the inward extension 71from the pivotal portion of the brake-lever 59. In order that the saidlevers may be properly attached to the said pulley 19 and in order tostrengthen the said pulley 19 where the said brake-levers are applied, ametal ring washer 72 is secured to one face of the web portion of thesaid pulley. Under this construction of a drivingpulley it is obviousthat the pulley will not be affected by the driving-belt until the beltshall have had such influence on the pulley as to force the weightedends of the brake-levers 58 and 59 outward against the tension of thesprings 64, and thus bring the strap-brake 65 in close and bindingfrictional engagement with the disk 55, secured on the shaft 18, and atsuch time only will the said band-cutter shaft 18 be revolved. When thespeed is lessened beyond a normal degree, the weights 62 will act tobring the ends of the levers 58 and 59, carrying such weights, towardthe center of the pulley, and thus relieve the brake-band 65 fromfrictional contact with the disk 56, and

the pulley 19 at such time will turn loosely on the band-cutter shaft18, the latter remaining idle. In order that the two brakelevers 58 and59 shall act in unison, a crossbar 73 is pivoted to the lever 59 betweenits pivot-point and its weight and is pivoted also to the opposing lever58 between its pivotpoint and its notched end, or that end to which thespring 64 is attached.

A shaft 23 is held to rock in bearings 24,

extending up from the side shields at theouter end of the top section 10of the body of the threshing-machine. An arm 25 extends normally upwardfrom the central portion of the rock-shaft 23, and one end of a spring26 is attached to this crank-arm, and the other end is secured to abracket 27, located at the upper or roof portion of thethreshing-machine. The said rock-shaft 23 is further provided withseries of rigid collars 28, each collar having a set-screw 29 attachingthe same, and these collars are located opposite the curved shields 14at the front of the threshing-machine body. These collars are adapted toreceive the shanks of what I term governing-forks 30, the shanks of thegoverning-forks being straight to a point near their lower ends, wherethe said shanks are inwardly curved and are bifurcated, as is shown inFig. 3. When a superabundance of bundles is at the delivery end of thebundle -'carrier or suflicient to possibly choke the machine, thebundles will engage with the inwardlycurved bifurcated ends of thegoverning-forks and will force the said bifurcated ends inward andupward, thus rocking the shaft 23, so as to place the springs 26 undertension. This action, as will be hereinafter described, causes themotion of the conveyer of the bundle-carrier to be stopped, and saidmotion is not resumed until the normal number of bundles is located atthe receiving end of the threshing-machine. At such time the forks arerelieved from pressure and return to their normal position, likewise theshaft 23, and the driving mechanism for the conveyer B is then againautomatically set in motion. This action just referred to isaccomplished in substantially the following manner: An arm 23 extendsdown from the left-hand end of the shaft 23, adapted to engage with astop 23 on the frame, and such engagement takes place when the pressureon the governing-forks 30 is relieved, so as to prevent the said forksat such time from moving too far forward. An arm 31 is secured to oneend of the rock-shaft 23, and this arm is provided with apivotallysecured loop extension 32, carrying a setscrew 33. A rod 34 ispassed through this loop extension of the crank-arm 31 and is adjustablyheld in position by the aforesaid setscrew 33. The rod 34 extendsdownward and rearward at one side of the body of the threshing-machine,being attached at its lower end to the upper portion of a lever 35,fulcrumed between its ends on a stud 36, located on the side of thethreshing-machine, as is shown in Fig. 1, and at the lower end of thesaid lever 35 a belt-tightener 37 is located in the form of asmooth-faced pulley. A spring 38 is attached to the upper end of thelever 35 and to a point on the threshing-machine to the rear of thelever, as is also shown in Fig. 1, which spring 38 is adapted to holdthe lever 35 in normal position. The spring 38 is placed under tensiononly when the spring 26, connected with the rock-shaft 23, is also undertension, at which time the belt-tightener 37 is moved rearward.

A shaft 39 extends through the threshingmachine at a point to the rearof the bandcutting mechanism. A sprocket-wheel 40 is mounted on one endof the shaft and stepped pulley 40 is mounted upon the opposite end ofthe shaft, having a connected sprocketwheel 41, and a belt 42,preferably a chainbelt, is passed over the sprocket-wheel 41, over thebelt-tightener 37, and around the friction-wheel 13, connected with thedrivingshaft of the conveyer B. As long as the belttightener 37 is inits normal position the belt 42 is held in such frictional engagementwith the friction driving-wheel 13 as to turn said wheel as the chainbelt 42 is moved; but when the belt-tightener 37 is carried rearward thebelt 42 is loosened, and consequently the said belt will simply slipover the friction drivingwheel 13 and will not turn the same,consequently stopping the motion of the conveyer B. The chain belt 42 isadjustable with relation to the belt-tightener 37 by means of anadjusting toothed pinion 43, mounted to turn on a rod or plate 44,having sliding engagement 44 at its upper end with the body of thethreshing-machine, and the lower end of this rod or plate is threaded topass through an apertured bracket 45, also located on the body of thethreshing-machine. The rod or plate 44 is adjustable up or down throughthe medium of a controlling-nut 46, located on the threaded portion ofthe rod and engaging with the said bracket 45, as is best shown inFig. 1. A cross-belt 47 is carried from the driven cone-pulley 20 to thecone-pulley 40, whereby the chain belt 42 is set in motion through themovement of the driving crank-shaft 18.

In operation should a large quantity of bundles accumulate at thedelivery end of the conveyer B the uppermost bundles will press thegoverning-forks 3O inward and upward, rocking the shaft 23 and placingthe springs 26 and 38 under tension, and through the medium of the rod34 the lever 35, at its lower end, is carried rearward, thus alsocarrying the belt-tightener 37 from tightening connection with the belt42, and, as has been stated, at this time the belt 42 is loosened tosuch an extent that it will have no driving influence on the wheel 13,but will simply slide over the same. l Vhen this action takes place, the

motion of the conveyer-belt is stopped; but the motion of theband-cutterscontinues, so that the band-cutters act upon the uppermostbundles and cut the band and draw the straw to the concave and cylinder.After the jam has been relieved the governing-forks return to theirnormal position, likewise the springs 26 and 38, and as the shaft 23 isrocked the connecting-rod 34 brings the lever 35 to its normal position,causing the belt-tightener 37 to again tighten the belt 42, bringing itin driving relation to the pulley 13, whereupon the conveyer B is againset in motion.

A feed-board 4:9 is located below and in front of the conveyer B, whichis attached to the machine in any approved manner so that it may bedropped to gain access to the cylinder and concave, and in thisfeed-board a hopper-bottom 50 is held to reciprocate, being actuated bya crank shaft 51, having a sprocketwheel 52 secured thereon, driven froma chain belt 40 which passes from the sprocket-wheel40 on the shaft 39.This hopper-bottom is provided 'with fish-back teeth 53, increasing inheight from the receiving end to the center and decreasing in heightfrom the center to the delivery end, so as to obtain a perceptibleretarding action on the under portion of the grain, and the grain passesfrom the hopper-bottom over the usual feed-board to the cylinder of themachine. The feed-board 49 shown acts in conjunction with the usualfeed-board and serves to prevent the loss of any of the grain.

It will be observed that the governing-forks 30 are adjustable, so thatthey may be used with grain of different kinds, and as the forks areinwardly curved at their lower ends they do not interfere with thefeeding of the straw, and their bifurcated lower portions form a widebearing for engagement with the bundles when the forks are to be broughtinto action.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1,. In a self-feeder for threshing-machines, a frame,a bundle-carrier, a friction-wheel, and a sprocket-wheel mounted on saidframe, means for continuously driving said sprocketwheel, asprocket-chain passing around said wheels, a pulley over the facewhereof said chain passes, governor-forks mounted on said frame andprojecting toward said bundle-carrier, means actuated by said forks fordisplacing said pulley, and means for driving said bundle-carrier.

2. In a self-feeder for threshing-machines, a frame, a bundle-carriermounted thereon, band-cutters cooperating with said carrier, asprocket-wheel, a friction-wheel, a sprocketchain passing around saidwheels, a pulley disposed normally against said chain, a lever carryingsaid pulley and holding the face thereof against said chain,governor-forks mounted on said frame and projecting toward saidbundle-carrier, and aconnection between said governor-forks and saidlever controlling said lever.

3. In a self-feeder for threshing-machines, a bundle-carrier, afriction-wheel connected with the driving-shaft of the bundle-carrier, aspring-controlled rock-shaft supported above the bundle-carrier,governing-forks extending from the rock-shaft in direction of thebundlecarrier, a driven shaft, means for driving the said shaft, a beltoperated from the driven shaft, being in frictional engagement with thedriving-wheel for the-conveyer, a spring-controlled lever, a crank-armextending from one end of the rock-shaft, a connection between the saidcrank-arm and the spring-controlled portion of the said lever, and abelt-tightener carried by the said lever, adapted for engagement withthe said belt, the said rock-shaft when moving in one directionoperating to carry the belt tightener from engagement with the belt, andwhen acting in an opposite direction serving to bring the belt-tightenerin tightening relation to the belt, substantially as described.

4:. In a self-feeder for threshing-machines, a bundle-carrier, afriction-wheel connected with the driving-shaft of the bundle-carrier, aspring-controlled rock-shaft supported above the bundle-carrier,governing-forks extending from the rock-shaft in direction'of thebundlecarrier, a driven shaft, means fordriving the said shaft, a beltoperated from the driven shaft, being in frictional engagement with thedriving-wheel'for the conveyer, a spring-controlled lever, a crank-armextending from one end of the rock-shaft, a connection between the saidcrank-arm and the spring-controlled portion of the said lever, abelt-tightenercarried by the said lever, adapted for engagement with thesaid belt, the said rock-shaft when moving in one direction operating tocarry the belt-tightener from engagement with the belt, and whenoperatingin an opposite direction serving to bring the belt-tightener intightening relation to the belt, band-cutters, a drive-shaft on whichthe band-cutters are mounted, and a connection between the driveshaftand the driven shaft, operating the belt controlling the operationof'the conveyer, as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES JIRSA.

Witnesses:

W. O. SoU'rHwIoK, E. F. MAYHEW.

IIC

